Learn By Sight
by TeeSquared
Summary: "I've got the freedom to learn and I'll learn all that I can." Can Desmond take care of his little brother and keep up at the same time? no pairing
1. Little Brat

**T1: maa, maa, sorry, i wasn't planning on writing anything before i played the game, but my impatience got the best of me...**

**Assassins Creed**

**Learn by Sight: 1 Little Brat

* * *

**

"Desmond, you brought that kid again?"

Desmond Miles smiled weakly.

"No, school," he adjusted the child on his back, "the little sucker didn't want to tell me about the parent-teacher meeting at his school."

"The school that has something wrong every week right?" "…It's every _other_ week."

The other man rolled his eyes, "When is that place going to just close down? Eatin' up our taxes."

Desmond grimaced at the thought of the school closing down. He laughed weakly.

"_I hope not_…"

"Why don't you just send him to a better school? There's plenty 'round-"

"I like the privacy of small, secluded school…Anyway, do you mind?"

Aaron waved him off, "_Whatever_, not like any of the customers mind _ever_."

The dark haired man gave a quick thanks and hurried to the back room, which led to a short hallway. The employees bathroom was at the end, an office at the left and a small dressing room on the right. The public restroom was on the other end of the bar, none of the employees wanted to hear any retching or other sounds being made in the stalls…

He turned into the office and put the sleeping twelve year old on a couch and covered him with his hoodie. Desmond pushed the boy's bangs out of his face. At one point he had wondered if taking the kid with him had been the right thing. The twenty five year old pinched his brothers nose. The sleeper frowned and swatted at his hand. Desmond shook his head and fixed the hoodie over his sibling. He knew he couldn't have left him there in that desert.

Kind of funny that the kid's name meant _free_.

He flicked the sleeper's forehead once before turning and leaving the office.

* * *

"Hey, Des," the boy tugged on the end of his older brother's hoodie. Desmond looked down at him while they walked. His little brother was a little bit off from what you expected of a boy his age. For one, he had a thin figure that they could never really get rid of. He was almost feminine…_almost_. He also needed a haircut. The kid could probably tie that mop up. Besides getting picked on for his…figure, he got picked on for his knack at doing things on his first time. Something even Desmond was a little envious of at times--he never told his brother of course.

"What's up, kiddo?"

He pointed out in front of them at the motorcycle a little ways away.

"Can I drive?"

Desmond stopped walking to stare at his little brother before laughing out loud. He pulled the kid under his arm, causing his own white hood to hide his face, and gave the boy a noogie.

"UGH! Stop it!" he complained.

Like the man would let a twelve year old drive his motorcycle…one he had to renew his license for five months prior.

"Ha, Fran, you little brat," he rustled his hair even more, ignoring the obvious distaste towards the action. He set the boy down, who immediately crossed his arms and scowled at his older brother with as much distaste as a twelve year could emanate. Desmond couldn't help but smirk.

It might have been because the kid's hoodie was covering half of his face and random locks of hair were sticking out from underneath it.

"Don't call me Fran anymore! The teacher called me _FLAN_ the other day!"

"On accident?"

"I don't know!" he cried out.

Desmond's eyes suddenly darted behind his little brother. A man in black was standing at the end of the parking lot.

_Suspicious._

"Okay, okay, Ace," he said using the boy's first name, "How's this, I'll _race_ you to the bike."

The boy's face brightened at the suggestion.

"I'll beat you," he declared, getting ready to run.

"Ha ha, right," Desmond looked around. The man in black had started to walk over.

He felt the tension rising, but he wouldn't let Ace know.

"One…" he started slowly. Ace bent down, mimicking the track runners he'd seen before on television.

"Two…" The suspicious man had caught on. Desmond rushed out a quick '_three'_ and bolted. Normally he would have let the kid win, but they weren't exactly in the best situation. He made only a small note of Ace's declaration of his deception, instead making sure he could hear the sound of his sneakers hitting the asphalt.

The man in black started to run towards them. So he was targeting them. Desmond wasn't too worried, he knew they'd make it in ti- His head shot back.

Ace had fallen.

Desmond cursed under his breath, this could get a _little_ dangerous. He faked a laugh to cover the fact that he was running harder.

"C'mon, Ace! At this rate I've already won!"

The bartender jumped into his seat and quickly jammed the keys into ignition. He chucked a helmet at the boy, who was already up on his feet. Ace caught the helmet and looked confused at his brother. He saw Desmond already had his helmet on and understood, he pulled his on as well and clicked the buckle under his chin.

Desmond pulled out in front of him and Ace quickly hopped on. He barely had a chance to grab on to Desmond's waist as he suddenly sped off.

"Des! What was _that_ for?"

Desmond didn't want to be involved in anything besides a _normal_ life. He swiftly picked up a lie.

"I really have to go."

Ace frowned, not that Desmond could see.

"That never made you have to speed off like that, you coulda just-"

"I didn't want to while some random man was watching."

"Oh, the guy running after us?"

"…" the kid was a little too observant maybe, "What do you want to eat?"

"Fooood."

The siblings ended up getting some fast food to eat back at their apartment.

Desmond slowed to a stop and set his foot down. He shut the engine off and pulled his helmet off.

"Still got everything?" he asked referring to the brown bag of food.

"Unless it flew away or something, it's all here," Ace said. He looked into the bag and frowned.

The older brother got off and peaked into the bag.

"What's wrong?"

Ace looked up, a frown still on his face, "They gave us onion rings--"

And that was the last thing Desmond Miles heard that night.

* * *

"Would you like a drink?"

The boy refused to move. Lucy Stillman groaned and rubbed her temples. This was_ not_ in her job description. No one was expecting Mr. Miles to have a kid with him, his son maybe?

"Where is he?" he asked stiffly, as if he had taken a long time to carefully piece together his question. Well, the kid was smart, Lucy guessed, the two probably had been used to hiding for a while as well.

"He's…taking a nap," she said just as carefully, but obviously much, more smoothly.

The boy's face hardened. The woman watched him clench his fists, the creases on his jeans becoming more bold from where he was gripping. He pulled his legs closer to himself. Of course he knew she wouldn't tell him anything.

"So, um, what's your name, kid?"

"None of your beeswax."

Lucy Stillman sighed and refrained from slapping her forehead. They really didn't have any solid facts on the kid. The lab took his fingerprint and nothing came up. When they looked into the schools in the area under _'Mr. Miles'_ they found a child under _'Fran Miles,'_ but the boy had no written records in any hospital.

It was like his parents had forgotten to register him.

"I'm Lucy Stillman," she held out her hand. He stubbornly ignored it.

The light haired woman sighed and stood up. She made her way to the mechanical door turned to look at him again.

"If you need anything, someone will be back in a little while."

He didn't move, _"Where is he?"_

Lucy shook her head, turned, and quickly put in the code to unlock the door. She wouldn't be able to get the kid to say anything more for now. The metal door slid open with a muted hiss. When she turned around, the boy was watching her-- no he was watching the keypad.

The door slid shut and all she saw was his intense eyes on the door.

She blinked just as a man was being carried in. Subject 17, Desmond Miles. She pointed to the machinery sitting in the center of the room.

"Set him down," she frowned and added 'gently' when she saw he was about to be roughly thrown on the Animus.

"Alright," another man walked in. "Let's get this party started."

"Vidic," Lucy reluctantly greeted.

Warren Vidic looked at the door leading to the subject quarters. Something wicked flashed past his eyes.

"I heard we got ourselves double jeopardy."

Lucy, who was fixing Mr. Miles' position on the Animus, stopped and shot a look at the Abstergo man.

"He's an adolescent. There's no way we can put him on the Animus."

"That's not up to you, Miss Stillman," he waved her off, "Anyway, start it up already."

Lucy frowned deeply, "Yes, sir."

She got back to setting the unlucky man on the Animus when his arm shot out.

Desmond Miles had woken up.

He cursed loudly and pushed Lucy away. The man rolled off the Animus and stood up quickly. He stood tense between Vidic and Lucy. He gave the Animus only a breath's glance.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

Lucy recognized that question in a heartbeat. It was the same one his son kept asking.

"Where is he?" he demanded louder.

"Now, now, Demond," Vidic stood from his seat and smiled, "No need to get testy."

He glared at Vidic. It seemed even this stranger could tell how much of an ass Vidic was at first sight.

"Desmond," Lucy started. His eyes darted to her.

"You don't have to worry," his fists tightened at the possibility of something having happened to the boy.

"I promise you, your son is safe."

Confusion flashed on his face.

"_Son?"_

A tranquilizer hit his arm. The man let out a hiss and pulled it out. He glared at the assailant, Vidic, before falling unconscious.

"Well, that could have gone better," Vidic said.

"Lucy stared at the fallen man. The look she had been given at mentioning his son's safety had shocked her; smothered in her blood a fear. Now that his eyes were closed, she had to work, fear or not.

"Now come on Miss Stillman, we don't have all day. That tranquilizer should run off in an hour or two."

* * *

_Ace frowned at him. "I don't like onions…"_

"_Pff, why not?"_

"_They make me nau-nauzu."_

"_Nauseous?"_

"_Yeah, that."_

_He laughed and pinched the nine year old boy's nose, "I'll make sure we don't get any onions next time."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah, I promise."_

The memory had been quickly interrupted, another quickly taking his place. A foreign one. One he didn't recognize at all. It wasn't even set in a familiar area. Where was the place? India? Arabia? Was he in the _Animus_?

_Where was Ace? _

A slight panic grew in him. He couldn't find Ace. The kid wasn't beside him and despite his attempts, his memory wouldn't let him look for him. Was it even _his_ memory? It had to be a dream.

He didn't recognize it. He didn't want it. He didn't need it. He needed to find his baby brother.

* * *

"Hey, buddy, you okay?"

Ace opened his eyes. Desmond was sitting by the bed. The boy rubbed his eyes. His chin touched his chest as he yawned. He sluggishly rolled his head to the side to look at his brother as he exhaled.

"Did I miss the bus?" he mumbled, forgetting what had happened. Then suddenly he sat straight up. How _could_ he have forgotten?

"_Desmond!"_ he exclaimed slamming his hands down on the mattress.

"Nice to see you too, Ace," Desmond said.

Ace flung his arms around his older brother and _sobbed_.

"_I thought they were pulling out your organs or something, like- like the bloody maiden--"_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Desmond pulled the twelve year old off of him and stared at him, "My organs? A bloody maiden? And sheesh, why are you crying like a baby?"

Ace hiccupped and furiously wiped his tears.

"You jerk! I was _really_ scared!"

Desmond's eyes softened -just slightly- after seeing his little brother break down. It was nice to see the kid be a _kid_. The moment he had shown potential for walking at five months their parents dropped the normal parents façade and cracked down on him like the other boys years older than him. It took a long while for Ace to get used to the idea that he didn't have to train everyday for his parents. It was nice to see that he could be a kid…but right now, if they didn't get out he'd be stuck here for however long Abstergo _wanted_ them there.

Desmond abruptly pulled the boy into his chest and obnoxiously patted his back.

"It's all good, _Franny_. You can cry on your big brother's shoulder _whenever _you want to!"

"UGH! St-Stop it!" Ace cried out suddenly very embarrassed.

"You jerk!"

* * *

**let me know if have any facts wrong or anythin please~ **

**r&r  
**


	2. No Ace

**T1:uwah, i wasn't expecting such nice/quick feed back haha thanks for the favs/alerts guys and a special thanks to the reviewers: Ayer Gootarest and Maverick Hunter Phoenix**

**ALSO. Maverick, yeaaaah, i totally missed that, for some reason I started using Niles and forgooootttttt...**

**The kid's name is Ace Fran Miles, Fran is his middle name! He uses that name in public though

* * *

**

**Assassins Creed**

**Learn By Sight 2: Without an Ace**

* * *

Desmond made sure Ace was asleep before turning out of the bed and setting his feet on the floor. He held his face. He really screwed up this time didn't he? He was so careful--but they got caught from one fingerprint.

He never should have gotten that motorcycle.

He gritted his teeth together. There wasn't anything he could do but look for an escape… He put a hand on Ace's forehead. He'd be lucky if he could convince them they weren't related.

* * *

Desmond woke up to a nudge at his side. It wasn't an obvious nudge though, it was very weak, and he probably wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't happened another time. He opened his eyes to Ace's face. The kid was turned into the bed and he was looking behind Desmond with one eye.

He was hiding..?

Desmond turned around and grimaced. There Vidic was, standing beside the bed. He found Ace's hand and gave it a squeeze. Ace squeezed back and pretended to be asleep.

"Gotta say that's a little creepy, Doc…wakin' up to you standin' over me." He sat up. "You been watching me sleep?"

"We're always watching you!" the man said, his eyes wandering to Ace, which Desmond unhappily noticed. "Now get up, we've got a lot of work to do!"

"Ohh…I wonder who I get to kill today," Desmond said with a sort of sneer in order to get the man's attention off his brother. He succeeded.

Vidic's eyes fell on Desmond.

"Don't be so cavalier!" he opened his arms, "Your ancestors almost had the right idea, Mr. Miles. If the deaths of a few people…evil people, no less…could save the lives of thousands more, well…" he looked at Desmond, "it seems a small sacrifice."

The bartender's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean 'almost'?"

"They didn't go far enough!" Vidic happily supplied, "To do use a rather tired analogy, corruption is no different than cancer. Cut out the tumors, but fail to treat the source and…well you're buying time at best. There's no true change to be had, without comprehensive, systemic intervention."

Desmond unconsciously squeezed Ace's hand, "Chemo for the masses."

"Education…re-education, to be more precise," the Abstergo man corrected, "But it's not easy. And it doesn't always work…"

"Let me guess…" Desmond shrugged off his anxiousness to give off a more cool and composed appearance, quite the opposite how he was feeling, "You've got a better solution. What is it then?"

The man laughed, "Not THAT would be telling!"

He turned and left the room.

Desmond stood and followed the man out of the quarters. He cast one last look towards the room. Even through the closed door he could tell his brother's eyes were open and their eyes would have locked if there was no door.

He had to get his brother out.

* * *

Ace uncrossed his legs again. He was so bored… He'd been in the room for hours. Someone already came in with breakfast and lunch. He wasn't planning to eat anything they had, but his stomach didn't want to agree with that plan.

So he ate the food…poisoned or not.

It wasn't…bad, but it would have been nicer to eat without a person watching him eat.

At least he was alone now…and terribly bored. He looked at the keypad by the door. He had gone to the door earlier. Apparently they locked it, or at least they locked it when it was just Ace in the room.

He fidgeted on the bed and played with the folds of the bed covers. He glanced at the keypad again. He knew the pass code by now. The only question was whether or not to open it. He chewed on his lower lip. Desmond still wasn't back. That gave him all the reason to open the door and search for him. Though he had a feeling his brother wasn't too far off.  
He stopped chewing his lip and took in a deep breath.

Now or never.

* * *

She restlessly tapped her foot against the tile floor. They should take Desmond out of the Animus. He'd been in it for hours and they had seen firsthand the problems of overexposure with their previous Animus user.

"Warren," she started, "I really think-"

She was going to tell them to take Desmond out of the Animus again when something caught both of their attentions. The door to the subject quarters slid open with a muted hiss. And there, standing at about half the height of the door was the meek looking Miles boy. He had opened the door on his own.

Lucy and Vidic stood from their seats.

His eyes landed on Desmond and all his childlike meekness vanished. He bolted from the door and reached the Animus in seconds flat, way before either adult could reach or stop him.

He wrapped his smaller arms around the unconscious man and shook him.

"Des! Des! Are you okay?"

Lucy tentatively reached out a hand to grab him. The boy noticed and viciously smacked her hand away and glared at her.

"What are you doing?" he screeched his voice drastically breaking onto a higher pitch, "What's wrong with him?"

Lucy took a step backwards. She'd be lying if she denied the crushing feeling on her entire being.

"Hey, kid," Vidic walked over to Lucy's side, "That's some important equipment that you're on. Get off."

"Give Des back," he growled.

"Fran," Lucy started with the boy's name, or at least what she thought was his name, "I promise you Desmond is okay."

"DON'T LIE TO ME 'CAUSE IM A KID!" he screamed and swung his arms out.

"Hey don't-!" "That's dangerou-!"

His hand hit against the Animus' glass visor and everything flashed. The lights of the room flickered on and off until everything shut down.

"Th-the power!" Lucy stammered.

Vidic cursed and angrily pulled out his cell phone, "Give me power now! What's going on?"

The lights suddenly flickered back on.

And Vidic found himself harshly meeting the ground with Desmond Miles leaning over him angrily. He had fistfuls of the scientist's lab coat in his clenched hands.

"WHERE'S ACE? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? WHY WAS HE THERE?"

"What are you talking about? He's right-" Lucy stopped short when she saw that 'Ace' was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared.

Lucy panicked. People don't just randomly disappear. It just wasn't possible. The time was too short for him to go anywhere unnoticed in a room he'd never seen before!

-Wait. What had Desmond said? The boy was in the Animus?

Vidic licked his lips, "And what, pray tell, are you going to do about it, Mr. Niles?"

Desmond's eyes narrowed sharply.

Lucy's attention darted to the two.

"Vidic what are you-."

"Be quiet now, Miss Stillman," Vidic snapped and turned back to Desmond. "Now you be a good patient and you can have your bother back when this is all over."

"Why is he involved?"

"Well that's for us to know, and you to not."

Desmond gritted his teeth together. He doubted Abstergo would let him and his brother go, but he didn't have any other open options. He released the man's collar and moved onto the cold tile.

Vidic stood up from beside him and fixed his coat.

"Lucy," he called and the two left the kidnapped man on his own matters.

* * *

Desmond lied down onto the bed feeling horribly exhausted. He felt sick and miserable. He lost Ace, his little free man. Why was he in the Animus? The damn Abstergo must have been planning to use Ace from the beginning.

He cursed and rubbed his eyes. How could he have been sleepy at all? His brother was missing! It must have been the Animus…it took…a lot out of him…

Reluctantly he let sleep wash over him.

* * *

"Des! Des! DES!" Desmond groaned. Who was shouting into his ear…? Someone…

His eyes shot open and he stat up quickly, butting heads with the unfortunate person near him.

"Ace-!" he cursed and rubbed his forehead. A dull throbbing centered on under his hand.

"'z that you?"

He was answered as someone wrapped his arms around him.

"Des, you're awake!"

Ace.

Desmond pulled the kid off of him and looked him over. He turned him around once then back again. No damage. He settled his arms on the boy's shoulders and slumped forward with a sigh.

"Thank god, you're safe."  
Ace nodded his head shyly.

"I had help too…"

Desmond looked up, "Help?

"Yeah," he raised his arm across his abdomen and pointed behind him, "He helped me. I thought he was you…He wouldn't give me his name though."

Desmond's eyes widened.

"Altair?" he gasped. Why was he meeting his ancestor in person? Were they in Israel or whatever eastern country he was from? They were on top of some ancient home, that much

Desmond knew for certain, though he had no idea why they were there or how they even got there.

The assassin's eyes narrowed. He swiftly walked over and before either brother could react the man's hidden blade was pressed against Desmond's throat.

The bartender cursed under his breath.

"How do you know that name?" Altair snapped, "You're a templar."

"W-what? Whoa, whoa, whoa, you got it all wrong!" Desmond raised his hands in defense, "Why would I be a templar?"

"Hey! Quit it!" Ace exclaimed and grabbed onto Altair's arm. "He's my brother!"

"Then you must be the same," Altair glared and threw the younger Miles off of him.

"ACE!" Desmond yelled and stumbled to his feet. He ran over to the edge of the building and caught Ace by his jacket before it was too late. Ace had gotten knocked out from hitting the ledge with his head and was now hanging dangerously by his hoodie. Desmond gritted his teeth together and tried to get a better grip of his brother's jacket. He managed to get a better hold but he heard something that stopped his blood cold. Ace's front zipper was opening and if that opened all the way, the boy would slip right out.

A blade touched the side of his neck. He was really starting to hate his ancestor.

"I swear I'm not a Templar!," he bit out, "Just, please, help! He's my little brother!"

"Your words hold no bearing."

"You're heartless," Desmond hissed.

_**ZIIIIIIP.**_

The zipper slid free. Ace was only barely in the jacket, his arms twisted slightly behind him.

Desmond turned to his ancestor once more, his face set in a grimace and desperation in his eyes. Before Desmond could say anything, the assassin had jumped over the building, jumping off of crates till he reached the ground, all in silence. He stopped directly beneath Desmond and just in time. Ace slipped out of the white jacket and landed in Altair's arms.

The relief that the 21st century Miles felt couldn't be put into words. He fell backwards and leaned on his arms. He numbly noticed his legs were numb. Guess he was really nervous.

He thought he had a legitimate reason to be.

* * *

He woke up with a start. It was all a dream? He patted down his chest and touched his cheek to make sure he was really there and not a sleep. He ripped the covers off.

No Ace.

He groaned and caught his head with his hands.

He was still at Abstergo and he still didn't have his little brother.

No Ace…

* * *

**I don't really have an update schedule... but i'll update when i can! R&R please~**


End file.
